Why Saying No To Your Child Is A Good Thing

As a parent, it is not always easy saying no to your child and some days it feels as if all you’re doing is saying NO. It can be a challenge saying the word NO without your child having a meltdown. Saying no is important since it helps children with developing patience, clear boundaries of behavior, values, and a positive attitude. It is essential for parents to communicate and foster limits that overlap with their own experiences, knowledge, and values. 

Parents must say YES too

It is just as vital to acknowledge and emphasize on your child’s proper and positive behavior. Encouraging them and allowing them to do things that are permitted and appropriate gives them openings for learning and achieving self-confidence. 

The right way to say NO

The manner in which you talk to your children reflects on how you would like to be talked to and how your child in turn speak to others. No is a dominant word and easily uttered. And it does have negative repercussions. The word no does not have to be punitive or unkind to be effective, but it is something that shouldn’t be avoided either. It is our job as parents to decide what sort of behavior is proper. If you start listening to your child and he listens to you, you’ll most probably find yourself using the word NO less often. 

5 Tips For Saying NO To Your Child

• Let them know w hat you want them to do instead of what they shouldn’t do

For example: Instead of saying NO they cannot have ice cream, rather tell them that after they’ve eaten their meal, you’ll all have ice cream. It is important that they know what it is they can do. 

• Use The Word Stop instead of No

Most of the time when you use the word no, you want him to stop doing what he is doing. Instead of no, try using the word stop. 

• Offer your child a reason for why you are saying NO

Studies have revealed that kids are often more open to do what you ask if you give them a reason why you ask them not to do something. For example: “If you don’t stop throwing toys at your little brother, you might hurt. Let’s rather see if we can build the tallest tower with them”. 

• Provide them an alternative

If you want them to do what you ask of them, it is essential to offer an alternative. For example: If they want to play outside for longer, you can say: “you have been playing outside for a long time now. I see it is getting dark very soon. Let’s do some coloring in together and you can choose which picture.”

• Commiserate with him and say YES

With this tactic is useful for understanding and acknowledging what it is he is wanting. You can try to say YES instead of No with a more optimistic state of mind. For example: If he asks for sweets, you can reply with: “Yes, you can have some sweets but it is almost dinner time. How about we all have some sweets after we’ve eaten and you can pick and hand them out.”

Conclusion

I hope this article has been helpful to you. It is important to say NO to your child but in the right way to prevent a negative reaction or meltdown. Saying no to your child is important for them to understand their boundaries and developing a sense of their autonomy. 

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